John Coltrane – 75th Birthday Celebration (Comp. 2001) (Prestige-Riverside) (3-CD)
Comp. 2001 | Jazz | FLAC+CUE+MQ-Covers (300Dpi) | NO LOGS | 533Mb+513Mb+500Mb+3Mb
Countless anthologies exist containing material from John Coltrane's considerably prolific 19-month (May 31, 1956 — December 31, 1958) association with Prestige Records. Particularly the all-inclusive, 16-disc Prestige Recordings (1991) box set. As most others are either too short or aimed specifically at one facet of the artist's output, few have truly been able to capture as wide a spectrum as this extremely thrifty three-CD compilation. The contents are presented in a primarily chronological fashion, appropriately commencing with "Tenor Madness" hailing off of a confab between Coltrane (tenor sax) and Sonny Rollins. One selection that isn't found on the Prestige Recordings is "Airegin" from the John Coltrane and the Jazz Giants (1956) get together, furthering the practically indispensable nature of 75th Birthday Celebration for the casual and hardcore listener alike. Entries in which Coltrane was a guest or co-lead include selections off of Interplay for 2 Trumpets and 2 Tenors ("Soul Eyes"), The Cats ("Eclypso"), Dakar ("Route 4"), Cattin' with Coltrane and Quinichette ("Vodka") and as a guest on the Mal Waldron project The Dealers ("Blue Calypso"). Granted, there are a few glaring omissions — such as "Super Jet," "Slowtrane," "Two Bass Hit,""Stardust," and "The Believer." However, all told, even the most scholarly Coltrane enthusiasts would have to be impressed with the variety found on Coltrane's 75th Birthday Celebration.